Today’s free knitting pattern has been in the works for (ahem) over two and a half years. Let me explain.

Back in January, 2013, I went to Vogue Knitting Live and I picked up two skeins of yarn.

The one on top is Full Moon Farms Fabulous Yarn. If you’d like to meet the wonderful shearer/dyer/spinner/farmer behind this yarn, Laura Watson, you can check out my interview with her here. I was drawn to it because it had rainbow colors but also a lot of black. And, I had already been chatting with Lindsey from Bartlettyarns about his machine spun, made in the USA yarns, and so I picked up a coordinating black skein (on the bottom). You can read my interview with Lindsey and Susan from Bartlettyarns here.

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And then, for the next few years, I couldn’t find the “right” project. I started a few projects with these yarns over the years, but nothing that seemed perfect. But then I chanced upon a stitch pattern that I thought would be perfect for a cowl in these two colors.

Now both yarns felt a little too scratchy for direct-to-skin wearing, so I knew that I wanted to knitfelt (or full, also known as shrinking it!) the finished project. For that reason, I made it a little larger than what I needed.

The knitfelting makes the fabric a little denser, which will help to keep out the cold in the winter. Of course, you can make your version without knitfelting, and it will be pretty warm, too.

Although it looks complicated, this cowl is actually easy enough for most beginner knitters to make. Slip stitches make the colorwork easy.

You can use any two colors of yarn to make this project. I used a solid (black) yarn and a variegated yarn with black highlights, but you could use two contrasting solids, too.

Don’t forget to share a picture on Ravelry or with my Facebook page if you make one!

If you want an easy print format, you can buy an ad-free PDF version on Craftsy.

Ribbon Stitch Cowl

Knitting Pattern by Underground Crafter

Slip stitches make colorwork easy on this simple, unisex cowl project.

 

Finished Size

• Cowl: 24” (61 cm) circumference x 8.25” (21 cm) width (before felting)/21” (53 cm) circumference x 8” (20 cm) width (after felting).

Materials

• Bartlettyarns 2 Ply (100% wool, 4 oz/113 g, 210 yd/192 m) – 1 skein in Black (CA), or approximately 120 yd (110 m) in any medium weight yarn.
• Full Moon Farm Fabulous Yarn (100% wool, 4 oz/113 g, 175 yd/160 m) – 1 skein (CB), or approximately 70 yd (64 m) in any medium weight yarn.
• US Size 8/5 mm knitting needles, or any size needed to obtain gauge.
• Yarn needle.

Gauge

• 18 sts = 4” (10 cm) in pattern. Exact gauge is not critical for this project.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

• BO – bind off
• CA – Color A
• CB – Color B
• CO – cast on
• k – knit
• p – purl
• pw – purlwise
• rep – repeat
• RS – right (front) side
• sl – slip
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• wyib – with yarn in back
• wyif – with yarn in front
• * Rep instructions after asterisk as indicated.

Special Stitch Patterns

• sl 1 pw wyib = slip 1 st purlwise with yarn in back = Bring yarn to back as if to knit. Insert right needle under next st as if to purl and slip to right needle.
• sl 1 pw wyif = slip 1 st purlwise with yarn in front = Bring yarn to front as if to purl. Insert right needle under next st as if to purl and slip to right needle. Return yarn to back.

Pattern Notes

• Carry unworked color up side of project.
• To make a scarf instead of a cowl, repeat Rows 1-8 until approximately 59” (150 cm) long, or 1” (2.5 cm) shorter than desired length, ending after Row 4. Follow remaining rows of pattern. Additional yarn will be required.
• For a scrappy version, use one color as CA, and alternate colors for Rows 1-2 and 5-6 throughout.
• Be sure to carry yarn for slip stitches and up rows loosely to avoid puckering.

Pattern Instructions

• With CA, CO 37 sts, (or any multiple of 4 sts, + 5 sts).
• Set Up Row 1: (Right Side) K across.
• Set Up Row 2: P across.
• Set Up Rows 3-6: Rep Rows 1 & 2 twice.
• Row 1: With CB, k1, *k3, sl 1 pw wyib; rep from * across to last 4 sts, k4.
• Row 2: With CB, k4, *sl 1 pw wyif, k3; rep from * across to last st, k1.
• Row 3: With CA, k across.
• Row 4: With CA, p across.
• Row 5: With CB, k1, *k1, sl 1 pw wyib, k2; rep from * across.
• Row 6: With CB, *k2, sl 1 pw wyif, k1; rep from * across to last st, k1.
• Rows 7 & 8: Rep Rows 3 & 4 once.
• Rep Rows 1-8 until approximately 23” (58 cm) long, ending after Row 4. Fasten off CB.
• With CA, rep Set Up Rows 1 & 2 twice.
• With CA, BO as for Row 3 in pattern. Fasten off CA with long yarn tail, approximately 24” (30.5 cm), for seaming.

Finishing

• With RS facing, use yarn needle to seam short ends together on the wrong side using whipstitch. (A photo tutorial for the whipstitch is available here.) Fasten off. With yarn needle, weave in ends on wrong side. Turn cowl right side out. Spray block if necessary. Optional: knitfelt (full) to shrink and make cowl denser. (A photo tutorial for knitfelting in the washer and dryer is available here.)

© 2015 by Marie Segares (Underground Crafter). This pattern is for personal use only. You may use the pattern to make unlimited items for yourself, for charity, or to give as gifts. You may sell items you personally make by hand from this pattern. Do not violate Marie’s copyright by distributing this pattern or the photos in any form, including but not limited to scanning, photocopying, emailing, or posting on a website or internet discussion group. If you want to share the pattern, point your friends to this link: http://undergroundcrafter.com/2015/10/02/free-knitting-pattern-ribbon-stitch-cowl/. Thanks for supporting indie designers!

Don’t forget to share a picture on Ravelry or with my Facebook page if you make one!

If you want an easy print format, you can buy an ad-free PDF version on Craftsy.